Controlling mechanism for airships.



APPLICATION vFILFD 00TA 24.1913.v

Patented Dec. 15,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L A. MAYBE. CONTROLLING MBGHANISM FOR AIRSHIPS.

APPLIGATION FILED 00T. 24. 1913.

Patented Dec. 15,1914.

Z SHEETS-'SHEET 2.

. useful Improvements in Controlling Mecha-D ANTON MAYER, QF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONTROLLIN G MECHANISM FOR AIRSHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Paten-ted Dee. 15, 1914.

Appiication sied october 24, 1913. serial Nb. 797,009.

at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State4 of Illinois, have invented certain new and nism for Airships; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of ythev invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to controlling mechanisms for airships, and more particularly to means for simultaneously controlling the positions of the various movable planes of an aeroplane. In airships of this general class it has heretofore been customary to provide either a manually operated steering wheel, or a l leverf operated with the feet, for controlling the rudder or rudder planes; and to provide separate levers for controlling the elevating and depressing planes and v the tilting planes respectively. In practical operation it has been found diiicult` for the average operator to manipulate the three sets of controls harmoniously under` all conditions, and particularly so as the aviator is often exposed to such low temperatures as to numb his arms and legs and thereby mak/e it difficult for him to use his limbs with their normal freedom. Moreover, it has been found difficult in practice to prevent inexperienced persons from becoming confused in the handling of the various levers or wheels, or likewise to prevent confusion on the part of experienced aviators in unexpected emergencies.

The prime object of my invention is to provide a controlling mechanism in which a single manually grasped controlling member will actuate all three sets of the controlling planes, and in which the operator can instantly discern from the position of the said controlling 'member what its action upon the controlling planes will be.

Another object is to provide simple means for holding the said single controlling member in any position to which it may have. v been manually moved and to provide simple means for protecting the connections between the said controlling member and the movable planes so as to guard the said members against mechanical injury.

Other objects will be apparent from the panying 'drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the controlling planes of an aeroplane and of following description and.' from the accomthe mechanism of my invention as attached thereto, other portions of the aeroplane being either omitted or merely indicated in dottedlines. Fig. -2.- is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the controlling mechanism of Fig. f1-. Fig. 3 is a plan View ofthe portions shown in Fig. Fig.- -4=- is a fragmentaryI view showing an alternative arrangement of the connections between4r the controlling member and the elevating` and depressingplanes.. i

Fig. -1- shows an aeroplane 1 equipped 'at its forward and rear lf'endsfwith tilting' planes 2 and 2 pivoted" respectively upon shafts 3 and '3 .and each having at their ends cross-bars 4 and 4, i'

plane has at its lateral edges -fpivoted planes 5 mounted upon pivots 6 and rigidly secured to cross-bars -7, and also has at its rear end a rudder 8 pivoted upon a shaft 49. and secured to a cross-barlO. Mounted longitudinally of the airship is a pipeV 11 having at its forward end an extension pipe 12which extensionA pipe is rotatable with respect to the said pipe 1l. Mounted upon the said extension pipe 12 is a substantially U-shaped frame 13 having slots both in its vertical arms and in its horizontal arm, and having a .pair of pulleys 14 mounted within the said slotted vertical arms. Mounted. within the extension pipe 12 midway between slotted vertical arms 15 of the frame 13* is a shaft 16 having a toothed wheel 17 integral therewith, and having a portion 8 extending through the upper wall of the said sleeve 12.. Secured -to the said extension 18 by a universal joint 19 is a steering shaft 20 exA member 13 and carryingat its upper end a likewise the `aerosteering wheel 21. The teeth of the wheel'.

17 are intermeshed with links of a relatively short chain 22 secured at its ends to cords 23 leading over guide pulleys 24 and connected to spectively to the opposite ends of the cross-bar l0v controlling the rudder 8. The steeringpost 20 is equipped between the said coupling 19 and the hand-wheel 31 with a sleeve 25 swiveled upon the said steering post but immovable longitudinally thereof, which sleeve is connected to the ends of cords Consequently,

.normal vertical position in which it 26 and 27 leading'l respectively to ends of the cross-bars 4 and 4 controlling .the forward and rear elevating and depressing planes respectively. The other ends of the said cross-bars 4 andl are connected toeach other by a cord 28, both of the said cords 27 and 28 being guided by pulleys 24: and extended through the sleeve 12 and pipe 11, which pipe and sleeve serve as a mechanical protection for the said cord. Mounted in the .horizontal slot inthe upper portion of ythe frame 13 is a frictionmember 29 of spring bronze or other suitable material, which friction member bears continually against one edge of the steering post 20 and presses the opposed edge of the said post with considerable force against the opposed wall of the said slot. Being thus held between the said friction member and the opposed wall of the slot, the steering post is not movablelaterally of the vehicle with respect to the frame, 13, but will rotate the said frame with it about the axis of the pipe when the post-isfrocked or tilted from the is shown in Fig. .--1- to a position in which it makes an oblique anglewlth the' axis. of the pipe in dotted lines in Fig.v 1-. thefiame 13 may readily be rocked about the axis of the pipe 11 by tilting the steering post in either lateral direction, the said rocking-being permitted by the said swiveled connection! between the sleeve 11, and shown 12 and pipe 11 and by the universal 'jointv 19 interposed between .the shaft 16 and the steering post is connected by cords 3G and 31 respectively, 'with one end of the cross-.bars 7 and 7 controlling the tilting planes 5 disposed at lateral edges of the airship, the' other ends of the said cross=bars beingiconnected by a cord 32. All of the said'cords 4are normally taut and guidedover pulley-Bf 24 to permit a freemction of the cords, hence it will be evident from Fig. 1- that 'a rocking. of the frame 13 about the pipe .11 will move the said cords to actuate'the saidtilting planes. 'Io prevent the frame 'from vlo'pping loosely about 'its said pivotal mounting it is equipped at one end with a frictionr member 33 bearing against a rod 34 upon the framework of the machine, the engagement between the said friction member and rod being sufciently forcible to hold the frame 13 in any position to 4which it may have been manually moved by tilting of the steering post 20.

It will be evidentv from the above that the aviator, who` is preferably seated upon a conveniently placed chair Such as the one shown in dotted lines at 35, is only required to manipulate a single operating member,

namely, a steering post terminating in a steering wheel, and by rotating said Wheel in either direction he will correspondingly 20. One end of the frame 13- move the rudder plane ofthe airship while the forward or backward movement of the steering post longitudinally of the airship will cause the cords 26, 27 and 28 to either elevate or depress the airship according to the direction in which the said steering post was tilted. Likewise a lateral tilting of the steering post and the consequent. rocking of the frame 13 with respect to the axis ofgthe pipe 11 will cause the cords 30, 31 and 32 to actuate the tilting planes 5. It will beevident that all three of these-motions can readily be combined and thatl the position of the steering post and steering wheel at any moment will indicate at a glance the change or changes in direction which will be producedv by the corresponding setting ofthe various pivoted planes; also that the `friction members 29 and 33 will readily hold the steering post in any position to which it may have been moved, thereby permitting the aviator to release his hold upon the steering wheel if he so desires. It will also be evident that the pipe or guide tube I wish to be limited to the-exact details of other portions of the construction herein disclosed as the same might be modied in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, instead of guiding the ends of the cords 27 over pulleys 14 mounted in slotted vertical arms; of the. frame member 13, I can dispense with the said pulleys by attaching arms 36 to the swivel sleeve 25 and securing the ends of the said cords to the respective ends of the said arms, as shown in Fig. Moreover, it will be evident that my invention may be applied to an airship having any desired number of controlling planes, since the control of the elevating planes 2 or 2 would be eifected just as readily if either one or the other thereof were omitted.

I claim as my invention 1. In a controlling mechanism for an air ship equipped at its forward and rear ends with coacting pivoted planes, cross-bars controlling the said planes, cords connecting the cross-bars upon the respective coacting planes, a guide tube extending longitudinally of the air ship and housing the main portion of the said cords, a portion of the said tube being rotatable with respect to the remainder of said tube; and manually operable means carried by the said rotatable iso portion ofthe tube and connected to the said cords. l

2. In a controlling mechanism for an air ship equipped with a plurality of planes, cords connected to the said planes and respectively controlling the positions thereof, a Wheel intermeshed with one of the said cords, a steering post flexibly coupled to the said Wheel, a member rotatable about an axis adjacent to the said flexible coupling and equipped with a slot through which the said steering post extends,'the said steering post being movable about its said flexible coupling longitudinally of the said slot; connections between the said steering post and the cords leading to one of the, said planes, and connections between the said member and another of the said` planes, and

a friction member disposed transversely of the axis of rotation of the said member and engaging an end of the latter and adapted by its said frictional engagement to lock the said member in any position.

3. In an air ship, controlling mechanism for cords leading to the respective planes thereof, including a rotatable pipe, a shaft mounted transversely thereof and extending through the upper Wall of the said pipe, a

. in alinement with the said shaft, a universal joint connecting the two shafts, a frame rigidly mounted upon the rotatable pipe and equipped with a slot extending substantially parallel to the said pipe, the said steering shaft projecting through the said slot and connected to one of the said cords, the said frame connected to another of the said cords; and a friction member extending transversely of the saidppipe and steering shaft and frictionally engaging a portion of the said frameto'prevent accidental displacement of the latter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in `presence of two subscribing Witnesses.-

ANTON MA YER.

Witnesses ALBERT SGHEIBLE,

M. M. BoYLE. 

